At this point, nobody can deny that we are a society in decline. In America today, you can buy a U.S. Senator for 10,000 dollars, test scores for 13-year-olds have dropped to alarmingly low levels, and the CDC is telling us that more people than ever are getting depressed. Our streets are filled with crime, the ranks of the homeless are absolutely surging, and we are facing the worst drug crisis in the entire history of our nation. Meanwhile, corruption is seemingly everywhere.
The guy in the White House and his son have made millions of dollars in an epic influence-peddling scheme that stretched over many years, and the mainstream media doesn’t seem to care. Of course they know exactly what it is like to be bought and paid for, because the only reason the big news networks can survive is because of the millions of advertising dollars that the pharmaceutical industry continues to inject into their dying carcasses.
As Victor Davis Hanson has astutely observed, America was once experiencing a “gradual decline”, but now the fall of our nation “has accelerated at such an astonishing rate we can scarcely recognize our country”…
Twenty-first-century America was on a trajectory of gradual decline—until it began to implode.
Was the accelerant the COVID-19 pandemic and unhinged lockdowns? Or was the catalyst the woke revolution fueled by the 2020 summer of exempted rioting, looting, arson, and violence? Or was it perhaps the deranged fixation on removing Donald Trump from the presidency and destroying the rule of law in the process? Or all that and more?
Now with the election of Joe Biden, what had been a fast-tracked decline has accelerated at such an astonishing rate we can scarcely recognize our country.
I wish that what he is saying wasn’t true.
But it is.
Just a few years ago, organized looting was something that was fairly uncommon.
Sadly, now we have reached a point where groups of people are constantly storming into our major retailers, grabbing whatever they want, and then storming out…
Retail crime is at a record high, and thieves are becoming bolder than ever.
“We’ve just had a lot of stressful situations where me or like one of my coworkers have gotten hit trying to get stuff back,” said Mae McRae, the manager of Las Vegas boutique Eden Sky. “We have people who completely fill up their hands and just run out. No care in the world.”
The riots of 2020 were a real turning point, and retail theft hit the 100 billion dollar mark for the very first time in 2022…
The National Retail Federation found retailers lost approximately $100 billion last year, which is up from $94 billion in 2021 and $91 billion in 2020.
“They’re getting more comfortable with it because we won’t chase after them,” McRae said of shoplifters, noting how many retailers train employees to not go after the shoplifter for safety reasons.
It is being projected that retail theft will be way above the 100 billion dollar mark this year.
Unfortunately, most of our politicians don’t seem interested in solving this crisis.
So large retailers are starting to flee the areas that have been hit the hardest, and that even includes very wealthy cities such as San Francisco…
A slew of companies have indicated in the past few months that they will exit locations in San Francisco’s downtown area, moves AT&T, Westfield and Nordstrom recently said they would also make.
Reports of AT&T’s closure of its San Francisco flagship, located at 1 Powell Street in the Union Square area, first came about late last week. That will take place in August, with the workers getting “offered jobs at one of the many other retail locations in the city,” an AT&T spokesperson told FOX Business on Monday.
Instead of working hard to fix our growing problems, our politicians are busy working hard to win their next elections, and for most of them that means making appearances at the “pride parades” that are taking place all over America this month.
In New York, approximately 100,000 people marched in the Big Apple’s world famous pride parade on Sunday, and it was expected “to draw roughly a million spectators”…
Spotted among the amalgam of drag queens and activists marching down Fifth Avenue were figures like Eric Adams, Kathy Hochul, and Chuck Schumer – three of roughly 100,000 participants taking part in the parade’s main procession.
This year’s march – the 53rd in the city’s history – is expected to draw roughly a million spectators, while featuring some 60 floats that speak to the LGBTQ situation not only in New York, but across the country.
There is absolutely no doubt about where the financial capital of the world stands.
At one point, some participants in the parade began chanting slogans that caused great alarm, but the mainstream media will not be covering this.
Needless to say, the mainstream media will not cover anything that puts such festivities in a bad light. During the Seattle pride parade, men that were fully exposed were allowed to participate. In the old days, that would get you arrested for “indecent exposure”, but in our time we celebrate that sort of a thing.
Of course there were lots of young children along the parade routes in Seattle, New York and in all of the other cities where such parades have been held this month.
Their innocence is being stolen from them. But nobody seems to care, because this is what we have become as a nation. If we were given another 20 or 30 years, what would our society look like? You might want to think about that, because the truth is that time is running out for America.
If we stay on the self-destructive path that we are on, we will reach the end of the road very rapidly, and so let us hope for a great awakening to happen soon.
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Article cross-posted from End of the American Dream.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.